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Thursday, September 29, 2016

Fall is here and so is Winter Squash Season! It should be an
official designation because as so as the leaves change famers markets and
grocery stores begin to fill up with winter squash. There is always a big bin
of wonderful winter squash in our market and I bring quite a few home. Many of
them that have hard skins, like Hubbard, and will last the whole winter but the
Delicata which are discussing today is softer so it must be used within a few
weeks.

Delicata is so easy to prepare as it does not need to be
peeled; it has a softer skin which can be eaten. You can peel it easily if you
prefer. It has a flavorful flesh that is
not overly sweet. It cooks up faster than many winter squash making it ideal
for weekday dinners. It can be sliced and sautéed in olive oil with a drizzle
of maple syrup if you want to play up the sweet notes or served plain with a little
salt and pepper.It can be mixed into various grain dishes like farro or
risotto. It can be cut up and roasted with
various glazes or herbs like sage and rosemary. It can be halved and baked and
filled with quinoa or farro or bulgar or a savory meat mixture like our recipe
today. I choose this meat filling tonight because some of the people at my
table were not too sure if they would like delicata squash and they were more
meat lovers. Next time I really want to try it with bulgar, spinach and tomato.

It is a truly fall dish as delicata is harder to find in the
stores outside of its fall harvest time. Delicatas were not grown much after
the 1930’s due to being susceptible to squash diseases. It has made a comeback
after the early 2000’s when a disease resistant variety was cultivated. I could
see delicatas becoming more popular like its cousins the acorn or butternut .

Our first winter squash recipe of the year is very
verstatile and easy to make. It can be prepared ahead and baked for 20 -25 minutes just before eating so it is perfect for week nights.

In a rectangle baking dish, pre bake squash, uncovered, cut side down in ½ or so water.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes till slightly soft.
(You may refrigerate these for use later.)

In a wide pan, begin to brown ground meat. Once it is just
nicely browned on the outside, add onion. After a few minutes add seasoning,
garlic and cook until meat is barely done and onion is soft. Add tomatoes and
stir to combine. Taste and add more spice, herbs, salt or garlic if needed.

Turn the Delicata squash so the open side is up. Drain
excess water from the baking dish. Fill the open space on the squash with meat
mix and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes until squash is soft. Bake
uncovered for 5 minutes more. You may
add a bit of grated cheese before you return it to oven.

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About Me

One of my joys in life is gathering people around my table to enjoy a good meal together. I love connecting with people and I love cooking so creating a blog seems like a good idea. I hope these recipes inspire you to get in the kitchen and create something delicious to share with your family and friends!
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Most of the recipes I post are originals; so I ask that you contact me before reposting. Thanks!